The primary objective of the Minority Biomedical Research Support Program at Southeastern Oklahoma State University is to provide introductory biomedical research experiences to the undergraduate American Indian students served by this institution. An expected outcome of the research experiences is that more ethnic minority students will be encouraged to major in chemistry and/or biology, and subsequently pursue advanced degrees in the biomedical sciences or related health fields. A second objective of the program is to strengthen the institutional research capabilities of Southeastern in the areas at bioanalytical chemistry, bioinorganic chemistry, and physical biochemistry. The three research subprojects proposed in this application will serve as the focal point for the undergraduate research experiences of the American Indian student research participants.